Panaji, Mar 5 (IANS): Any alliance with Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) can happen only with the consent of the Shiv Sena, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Gopinath Munde said here Friday.

Munde, who is BJP's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, said the nearly two-decade-old alliance with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra was in good shape and would continue.

"The Shiv Sena and the BJP are in alliance and our alliance will continue. The possibility of the BJP aligning with the MNS can only happen after consultation with the Shiv Sena," Munde said.

Raj Thackeray, nephew of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, spilt from his uncle's outfit and formed his own party Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in 2006.

Not ruling out political alliances in the future, Munde said there had been several instances where opposition parties, including those with Left wing ideologies, had come together against the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

"All opposition parties in Maharashtra should come together to defeat the Congress during the polls," said Munde, an MP from Beed in Maharashtra.